Mugabe says he won't vote for Mnangagwa

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Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said Sunday he will not vote for incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa who replaced him after he resigned last November following a military intervention.

Speaking at a press conference at his Harare mansion, he criticized Mnangagwa and the military for forcing him to resign and expressed hope that Monday's election will afford Zimbabweans the chance to correct the "illegal" government of Mnangagwa and help return the country back to constitutionalism.

"Let tomorrow (Monday vote) decide that there should be a big no to guns directing our politics. Let tomorrow be the voice of the people to say never again shall we experience a period where the army is used to thrust one person into power," he said.

Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe holds a news conference at his private residence in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 29, 2018. /Reuters Photo

He also said: "I can not vote for those who tormented me. I will make my choice among the other 22 presidential candidates."

He also refuted claims that he was backing opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in the polls.

He said he would not vote for either of the four women presidential candidates because they did not have the support of the people.

Monday’s election will see 75-year-old Mnangagwa, a long-time Mugabe ally, face 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who is vying to become Zimbabwe’s youngest head of state.

Polls, which are unreliable, give former intelligence chief Mnangagwa a slim lead over Chamisa. Both candidates are due to address the media later on Sunday.

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Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency